1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to a package structure and, more particularly, to a package structure having a plastic support frame laminated to a body of folded sheet material to form the package surfaces. It is particularly suited for but not limited to a package for optically readable media such as compact audio discs, CD ROM's, for any other items.
2. Description Of The Related Art
Traditionally, compact audio discs (CDs), have been packaged in clear plastic boxes, popularly called "jewel boxes." Suitable graphics and information for the consumer are printed on sheets placed inside, or between panels of the jewel box, and on booklets inserted inside the box.
To discourage theft, and to accommodate existing display facilities, jewel boxes have usually been packaged in large cardboard containers, or alternatively, in semi-rigid plastic shells. In both cases, the outer containers are intended to be discarded after purchase.
Popular protest about the environmental inefficiency of traditional packaging led to development of several alternatives allowing sale with the container in an open position and eliminated some of the excess packaging material. These enjoyed brief success, but the music industry is yielding to demands for no excess packaging and CD's will ultimately be sold in plastic film wrapped jewel boxes closed to their normal storage size.
Yet dissatisfaction still exists.
One problem is that the traditional jewel box consumes a relatively large amount of plastic which is not customarily derived from recycled materials. Another problem is that package graphics will play an important point of sale advertising role if the jewel box is not in an outer package. Viewing the printed material through the jewel box detracts significantly from the color and "snap" of the graphics. Graphic impact is further reduced due to distracting reflections generated by the plastic surface.
A further problem is that the jewel box is rather fragile. The surfaces, and particularly, the hinges, can easily break if the package is dropped.
Some of the better designs which resulted from earlier consumer demand for environmentally better packaging involved folded paperboard. Unfortunately, these packages have generally not been durable, particularly along the exposed paperboard edges, and at the folds, or have suffered from the need for expensive special purpose machinery both to assemble the package and to load the CD and accompanying booklet. There is clearly still the need for a package structure that overcomes the known problems with prior paper packages and with the traditional CD jewel box design.